Interactive Animal Communications Apparatus Accessory Device

ABSTRACT

An interactive animal communications apparatus accessory device conceals a communications apparatus within a stuffed animal and functionally attaches the communications apparatus to a microphone and speaker allowing a person to interact with another person through the stuffed animal as if the stuffed animal was hearing and speaking. The device includes a stuffed animal and a camera substantially concealed in the stuffed animal and includes a lens exposed to an exterior of the stuffed animal to monitor an area adjacent to the stuffed animal. A speaker is concealed in the stuffed animal. A plug is operationally coupled to each of the camera and the speaker and concealed in the stuffed animal. A transceiver is positionable in the stuffed animal. The plug couples to the transceiver such that the speaker broadcasts sound from an extrinsic device through the transceiver and the transceiver transmits video from the camera to the extrinsic device.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to communications apparatus accessory devices andmore particularly pertains to a new communications apparatus accessorydevice for functionally attaching a communications apparatus to amicrophone and speaker within a stuffed animal to allow a person tointeract with another person through the stuffed animal as if thestuffed animal was hearing and speaking.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a stuffed animal and a camera coupled to thestuffed animal. The camera is substantially concealed in the stuffedanimal and includes a lens exposed to an exterior of the stuffed animalto monitor an area adjacent to the stuffed animal. A speaker isconcealed in the stuffed animal. A plug is operationally coupled to eachof the camera and the speaker and concealed in the stuffed animal. Atransceiver is positionable in the stuffed animal. The plug couples tothe transceiver such that the speaker broadcasts sound from an extrinsicdevice through the transceiver and the transceiver transmits video fromthe camera to the extrinsic device.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a interactive animalcommunications apparatus accessory device according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top back side perspective view of an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5 thereof, a new communications apparatus accessory device embodying theprinciples and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generallydesignated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the interactive animalcommunications apparatus accessory device 10 generally comprises astuffed animal 12 having a head 14, a body 16, and an opening 18extending into an interior 20 of the stuffed animal 12. The opening 18is in a back 22 of the stuffed animal 12 so as to generally not bevisible to a child or other observer viewing a front of the device 10. Acamera 24 is coupled to the stuffed animal 12. The camera 24 issubstantially concealed in the stuffed animal 12 so as not to be readilyvisible to the observer. The camera 24 has a lens 26 exposed to anexterior of the stuffed animal 12 wherein the camera 24 is configured tomonitor an area adjacent to the stuffed animal 12. The lens 26 ispositioned to align with a nostril 28 in a nose 30 of the stuffed animal12 such that the lens 26 is forwardly directed relative to the stuffedanimal 12. The nose 30 is positioned at an end 32 of a snout 34 of thestuffed animal 12 wherein the lens 26 is forwardly positioned relativeto the body 16 of the stuffed animal 12 and the lens 26 is generally notobscured by the structure of the stuffed animal 12. Thus, the camera 24provides a view of an observer as the observer views the stuffed animal12 from the front.

A speaker 36 is coupled to the stuffed animal 12. The speaker 36 isconcealed in the stuffed animal 12. The speaker 36 is positioned in atorso 38 of the stuffed animal 12 under a mouth 40 of the stuffed animal12 such that the speaker 36 may be of a size larger than the mouth 40 ofthe stuffed animal 12 yet the sound transmitted from the speaker 36 willbe sufficiently close to the mouth 40 as to give the impression of thestuffed animal 12 producing the sound through the mouth 40.

A plug 42 is operationally coupled to each of the camera 24 and thespeaker 36.

The plug 42 is concealed in the stuffed animal 12. A transceiver 44 ispositionable in the stuffed animal 12. The plug 42 couples to thetransceiver 44 such that the speaker 36 broadcasts sound from anextrinsic device 46 through the transceiver 44 and the transceiver 44transmits video from the camera 24 to the extrinsic device 46. Thetransceiver 44 may be a cellular telephone 66 and the extrinsic device46 may be a second cellular telephone 66 facilitating communicationbetween the transceiver 44 and the extrinsic device 46. Alternatively,each of the transceiver 44 and the extrinsic device 46 may be anelectronic tablet or the like.

A microphone 48 is coupled to the stuffed animal 12. The microphone 48is concealed in the stuffed animal 12. The microphone 48 isoperationally coupled to the plug 42 wherein the microphone 48 isconfigured to transmit audio from the microphone 48 to the extrinsicdevice 46 through the transceiver 44. The microphone 48 is positioned inthe mouth 40 of the stuffed animal 12 to be directed towards the area infront of the stuffed animal 12 enhancing pickup of audio from theobserver. Thus, a person may monitor both video and audio feedback orreactions from the observer while being able to speak to the observerthrough the device 10 in a manner giving the impression the stuffedanimal 12 is speaking, hearing, and personally interacting with theobserver.

A closure 50 is coupled to the stuffed animal 12. The closure 50 may bea zipper 52, hook and loop fastener, or the like, closing the opening 18wherein the transceiver 44 is securable within the stuffed animal 12.

In use, the transceiver 44 is positioned in the stuffed animal 12,coupled to the plug 42, and activated to transmit video and audio to theextrinsic device 46 while allowing audio transmission through thespeaker 36. Thus, a person may monitor both video and audio feedback orreactions from the observer while being able to speak to the observerthrough the device 10 in a manner giving the impression the stuffedanimal 12 is speaking, hearing, and personally interacting with theobserver.

In alternative embodiments, the camera 24 may left out entirely or be anintegral part of the transceiver 44, obviating the plug 42 for thepurpose of connecting the camera 24 to the transceiver 44. In thisembodiment, the transceiver 44, be it a phone, electronic tablet, or thelike, would be positioned within the interior 20 to position theexisting camera of the device in a position to achieve the samefunctionality as earlier described. The device 10, absent the camerafunctionality, could also be provided with a pair of two way radios forcommunication. One radio serving as the transceiver 44 and the otherserving as the extrinsic device 46. The stuffed animal 12 can beprovided with or without additional structure as is conventionally knownfor providing articulation and movement of the various parts of thestuffed animal 12. Such articulation could be applied to the mouth,ears, eyes, and extremities and synchronized with sounds transmittedthrough the transceiver 44.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded.

A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. An interactive animal communications apparatus accessorydevice comprising: a stuffed animal having a head, a body, and anopening extending into an interior of said stuffed animal; a cameracoupled to said stuffed animal, said camera being substantiallyconcealed in said stuffed animal, said camera having a lens exposed toan exterior of said stuffed animal wherein said camera is configured tomonitor an area adjacent to said stuffed animal; a speaker coupled tosaid stuffed animal, said speaker being concealed in said stuffedanimal; a plug operationally coupled to each of said camera and saidspeaker, said plug being concealed in said stuffed animal; and atransceiver positionable in said stuffed animal, said plug coupling tosaid transceiver such that said speaker broadcasts sound from anextrinsic device through said transceiver and the transceiver transmitsvideo from the camera to the extrinsic device.
 2. The device of claim 1,further comprising said transceiver being a cellular telephone.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising a microphone coupled to saidstuffed animal, said microphone being concealed in said stuffed animal,said microphone being operationally coupled to said plug wherein saidmicrophone is configured to transmit audio from said microphone to theextrinsic device through said transceiver.
 4. The device of claim saidopening being in a back of said stuffed animal.
 5. The device of claim4, further comprising a closure coupled to said stuffed animal, saidclosure closing said opening wherein said transceiver is securablewithin said stuffed animal.
 6. The device of claim 1, further comprisingsaid lens being positioned to align with a nostril in a nose of saidstuffed animal.
 7. The device of claim 6, further comprising said nosebeing positioned at an end of a snout of said stuffed animal whereinsaid lens is forwardly positioned relative to a body of said stuffedanimal.
 8. The device of claim 1, further comprising said speaker beingpositioned in a torso of said stuffed animal under a mouth of saidstuffed animal.
 9. The device of claim 3, further comprising saidmicrophone being positioned in a mouth of said stuffed animal.
 10. Aninteractive animal communications apparatus accessory device comprising:a stuffed animal having a head, a body, and an opening extending into aninterior of said stuffed animal, said opening being in a back of saidstuffed animal; a camera coupled to said stuffed animal, said camerabeing substantially concealed in said stuffed animal, said camera havinga lens exposed to an exterior of said stuffed animal wherein said camerais configured to monitor an area adjacent to said stuffed animal, saidlens being positioned to align with a nostril in a nose of said stuffedanimal, said nose being positioned at an end of a snout of said stuffedanimal wherein said lens is forwardly positioned relative to a body ofsaid stuffed animal; a speaker coupled to said stuffed animal, saidspeaker being concealed in said stuffed animal, said speaker beingpositioned in a torso of said stuffed animal under a mouth of saidstuffed animal; a plug operationally coupled to each of said camera andsaid speaker, said plug being concealed in said stuffed animal; atransceiver positionable in said stuffed animal, said plug coupling tosaid transceiver such that said speaker broadcasts sound from anextrinsic device through said transceiver and the transceiver transmitsvideo from the camera to the extrinsic device, said transceiver being acellular telephone; a microphone coupled to said stuffed animal, saidmicrophone being concealed in said stuffed animal, said microphone beingoperationally coupled to said plug wherein said microphone is configuredto transmit audio from said microphone to the extrinsic device throughsaid transceiver, said microphone being positioned in a mouth of saidstuffed animal; and a closure coupled to said stuffed animal, saidclosure closing said opening wherein said transceiver is securablewithin said stuffed animal.